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Red Cross Campaigns About Fire Prevention In Aurora This Weekend

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- About 300 volunteers with the American Red Cross will be going door to door in Aurora this weekend educating homeowners about fire prevention.

Ninety-three percent of the responses by the Red Cross are for home fires.

"Nationwide we see about 74,000 disasters a year, 60,000 of those are home fires," said American Red Cross Community Preparedness Manager Cari Wheat. "That is also the only disaster that can be prevented."

The volunteers will also be handing out batteries for smoke detectors.

"We're engaging in conversations with folks, we're finding out when was the last time you changed your smoke detector batteries, do you know how to prevent fires?" said Wheat.

During a similar campaign last year Red Cross volunteers talked with about 1,000 people in Colorado and visited more than 3,300 homes. This year the Red Cross hopes to do more.

"What we're trying to teach people this weekend is how to take care of themselves, take care of each other, take care of their kids and anyone older who is living in the house," said Wheat.

"Home fires are devastating. You will see huge disasters are definitely devastating, like Superstorm Sandy or hurricanes in Joplin, but in your own home, you'll find that your neighbors weren't necessarily affected and it's just your house, People learn that if they can prevent those incidents, how much more power they have."

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